Wings. Beer. Sports. And we’re going to tack “deals” onto Buffalo Wild Wings’ beautifully blunt slogan as well. If the big game wasn’t enough of a draw to get you through the doors of the sports bar, then one of its rotating promos will. The chain thrives on specials like BOGO wing Thursdays and ridiculous giveaways during big sports moments — like its yearly promise of free wings if the Super Bowl goes into overtime.
Right now, though, the hottest deal at B-Dubs has to be its returning bottomless appetizers for $9.99. The offering actually kicked off on April 7, but now it’s gaining even more attention after the chain clarified in a viral Tweet that it’s not $9.99 per person, as many people assumed, but rather $9.99 for a group of up to four people. That certainly changes things, and at a cost of $2.50 a head for never-ending grub, it’s a deal worth checking out.
I rounded up a posse of three others to join me on a trip to Buffalo Wild Wings and get the scoop on this seemingly too-good-to-be-true promo. I’m going to break down the app options, the rules, and whether the unlimited feast truly is the real deal — or if there’s some sort of catch hiding beneath all those shareable baskets.
Methodology
My group and I visited our local Buffalo Wild Wings in Columbus, Ohio. And I did, in fact, call ahead to double-check that the location was participating in the bottomless app bonanza. As soon as we were seated, I rummaged through the stack of various menus and found a double-sided pamphlet dedicated to the deal. It notes that you can mix and match your favorite appetizers starting at $9.99, and then it delves into the finer details on the back.
It turns out that there are actually two different options: the Classic Bottomless, which is set at the $9.99 price, and the Premium Bottomless, priced at $12.99. These costs apply to groups of four people or fewer. If you have more than four, it’s an additional cost of $2.99 per person. The classic option gives you access to five different starters, including mozzarella sticks, onion rings, fried pickles, and chips with either Hatch queso or salsa. If you upgrade to premium, you also unlock cheese curds and chips and guacamole. The page also makes sure to note that the deal is dine-in only, leftovers are not allowed, and since apps are made to order, patience is appreciated.
We decided to go with the standard $9.99 deal, and adhering to the rules, we ordered pairs of two appetizers at a time. As we went, we not only took stock of the food itself but also got a feel for the experience as a whole.
Round 1: A crunchy and promising first impression
Right out of the gates, we opted for an order of fried pickles with chips and salsa. It didn’t take long — maybe 10 minutes or less — for the two appetizers to materialize at our table.
The pickles were obviously fresh. They came in thick, zesty slices that were lightly breaded for a subtle crunch. They also came with a side of signature B-Dubs Dip for dunking. This sauce tastes like a hodgepodge of other popular sauces, with equal measures of smokiness and tang, plus just a touch of Buffalo-style spice. It paired well with the salty pickles, and we all agreed this was a decent start to the meal. The only problem was that the serving size was a bit small. I counted just about 15 fried pickles on the plate, so we were limited to just three to four each.
The platter of chips and salsa was more generously sized, but you know how it goes: There’s usually plenty of chips yet not quite enough salsa to go around. Unfortunately, the flavor wasn’t all that impressive. The chips were thin and greasy, similar to Chili’s tortilla chips, and also a bit inconsistent. Some were chewy rather than crispy, and some were extra salty. As for the salsa, it seemed like any old mildly spiced store-bought salsa. But, despite its mediocrity, we kept going back for more. And sure enough, we still ended up running out of salsa with a few rogue chips left on the plate.
Round 2: Overloaded with cheese and chips — what could go wrong?
I was surprised that our waiter let us put in for our second round of apps before finishing our first. Based on the rules, I thought it was going to be more strict — like a clean plate club situation. But we didn’t question it. Without missing a beat, we requested the mozzarella sticks along with the Hatch queso and chips to knock out two more of the options on the menu. By the time the fresh batch of apps arrived at the table, we were pretty much wrapped up with the first set of starters, anyway.
Coming right off the chips and salsa, the equally hefty mound of tortilla chips wasn’t particularly enticing, but at least the queso brought a different flavor to the table. It had a thinner base for a queso dip, and the flavor reminded me a bit of mild cheddar or even Velveeta-style cheese. There was some fresh pico de gallo sprinkled in, and it appeared that the kitchen also took the liberty of adding chili into the queso (that’s usually an upcharge). So, beans and bits of ground beef made an appearance. With this pleasant surprise factored in, we all agreed this was the superior option compared to the chain’s salsa.
The set of six mozzarella sticks was nothing special. Each one was crispy enough but lacked both meltiness and a bold seasoning. I had one and was more than willing to pawn off my second to someone else.
Round 3: Hitting a greasy wall
At this point, we were filling up and slowing down — and the service was as well. It seemed that we waited a little bit longer for our next app refill. But the location was also getting busier as a basketball game revved up, so that could have been to blame. For our third pass (which would also be our final pass, though we didn’t know it yet), we had to go with the only app we hadn’t tried yet, which was the onion rings, and also decided to return to the fried pickles — our favorite from the first round.
The pickles were just as good as they were initially, but most of the attention was on the onion rings. They looked promising, fried to a golden brown in a variety of sizes and served alongside the same B-Dubs Dip that accompanies the fried pickles. But when you bite into them, you realize they’re more breading than onion. It’s not necessarily a bad thing since the onion was a bit mushy and the breading was sweet, kind of like the breading on a corn dog or some other fried fair food. Because of this, my husband actually noted that these were his favorite part of the meal, though not everyone shared his enthusiasm.
After this double whammy of fried food and after officially completing the full five-app gauntlet, we collectively decided that a fourth go-around was officially off the table. The endless apps ended there.
Final thoughts
There’s no denying this is a good deal. It’s hard to pass up an endless bout of food for four people that will cost you far less than a tank of gas these days. Seriously, I’m not sure how Buffalo Wild Wings is making any money on this offering.
If you’re even remotely considering getting an appetizer — or honestly, even if you weren’t planning on it — you might as well go with the bottomless deal. Most of the included apps already sit around the $10 mark on the regular menu anyway, so even if you order just two apps, it’s already well worth it — like a BOGO. And if you have the time to spend, you can get even more out of the promo.
The only problem is that I don’t necessarily think it can work for an entire meal. This classic lineup is made up of nothing more than greasy filler food, and the premium version is more of the same. As we ate each round, we didn’t necessarily feel satiated, but rather more weighed down and craving something more substantial. We found ourselves looking longingly at other tables enjoying their meaty chicken wings. What this deal is missing is some good old-fashioned protein. If I were to do this deal again before it disappears on June 10, I would couple it with a basket of wings to share or even something like the cheeseburger sliders on the regular app menu. That way, everyone is still saving money but won’t be hungry again in an hour.
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